


Things Always Look Better In the Morning

by WolfenM



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Whedonverse - Fandom
Genre: Acceptance, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, Episode Tag, F/M, Families of Choice, Family Reunions, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, Introspection, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, Redemption, Resurrection, Reunions, Romance, Sister-Sister Relationship, Unconventional Families
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-21 13:20:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3693770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfenM/pseuds/WolfenM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buffy sees the gang again after her ... holiday, and it's not the happiest of reunions. Takes place immediately after the season 6 premiere, "Bargaining, Parts 1 & 2".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things Always Look Better In the Morning

**Author's Note:**

> This is an oooooold fic (though I've tweaked it since the original posting circa 2001). It was written before the third episode of season 6, and was, of course, jossed by canon. Each section is headed by the first initial of the person whose point of view it's from.
> 
>  **DISCLAIMER** : Spike, Buffy Summers, Dawn Summers, Rupert Giles, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Tara Maclay, Anya Jenkins, and the Buffybot © Joss Whedon, 20th Century Fox, and Mutant Enemy.

BBBBBBBBB  
"What the HELL are you doing out here?!?" A dark-haired man greeted the young girl beside her.

Buffy knew him, she thought, saw images of him in her mind, but could only recall that his name was unusual, not what it was. And she was agitated with him for yelling at the girl.

The woman beside him, less familiar but familiar all the same, was gentler. A little. "Where's Spike?! Why isn't he watching you?!?" The woman turned to the man. "See, I told you we needed to pay him if we expected him to keep a good eye on her!"

Something told Buffy that that wasn't true.

One of the other women approached slowly. "Buffy? Are you ok? Do you remember anything?" 

Buffy eyed the woman warily through the unruly mane falling thickly into her eyes. As she watched the girl approach, it seemed she was seeing other images of her, hearing her say other things. Watching as she laughed and smiled and cried, as she cast powerful magicks and typed away madly at a keyboard. And when the girl put her hand on her shoulder, the touch was like a static shock, jogging something that was loose in her mind into place. She'd felt that hand before, heard that voice, seen that smile. 

"Wi... Willow?" 

Willow gathered Buffy in a fierce hug, sinking to her knees, and Buffy and -- Dawn, that was her name! -- fell with her. Tara and Xander and Anya weren't far behind. 

When Buffy was able to breathe again, she whispered, "I want to go home." 

SSSSSSSSSS  
Spike had been walking for hours, but hadn't even noticed. To him, time raced by like a heart beating with anxiety, something he'd known all too well when he was still alive. (Sometimes he felt like he could still feel it. There were phantom limbs -- were there phantom palpitations?) The acrid smoke clouded his senses, making his eyes and nose and throat burn (or so he told himself). Still he walked on. And prayed he wouldn't fid his lil' bit lying in the rubble. 

What had gotten in to her? Was it the sight of the Buffybot's parts lying about, after it had been drawn and quartered by the Hellfire gang? It wasn't like they hadn't seen it in pieces before, but he had to admit the sight of it had sickened him too. It was foolish, he knew, but a part of him felt like this made Buffy _more_ dead somehow. He had caught himself pretending, for a moment here and there, that the 'Bot was really her. He fought hard against doing it, and had even had Willow reprogram the thing so that its "undying love" for him was gone — except the reprogramming hadn't actually _worked_ (if she'd bothered at all). It's adoration for him made the memory of why he'd had it made in the first place all that much harder to bear. It brought back the shame he'd felt when Buffy had confronted him about it, the gratitude he'd felt at the same time when she'd thanked him, the bliss he'd felt in the tiny kiss she'd gifted him with. It all roiled inside him, like a storm always on the verge of breaking. And the things he fought hardest to forget, the memory of her request for him to protect Dawn, his promise to her, and the fact that he'd _failed_ , which had ultimately led to her demise ... _those_ were the bolts of lighting in that storm, sudden and sharp and searing, and they struck whenever he looked at the 'Bot, or at Dawn.

Well, now he didn't need to worry about one of those reminders. He prayed again that he would still have the other. 

And the storm was _this close_ to overcoming him again, making him rain tears, as it had when he saw Buffy's corpse after his failure. He couldn't get the image of the broken 'Bot or his broken Buffy out of his mind, the two juxtaposed in a morbid monument to her loss. 

No. Not _his_ Buffy. She had never been his. 

He told himself the tearing of his eyes was just from the smoke as he pressed onward. 

How could the nibblet have gotten so far? And what had happened to the bikers? He hadn't seen a sigh of _any_ one in _hours_. It _had _to have been hours -- the sun was almost up.__

__Maybe she had gone back home? He was closer to his crypt, but after spying a blanket on a couch through a broken window, he decided he could make it back to the Summers place. He turned and made his way back, hurried along by both the sun and a greater fear -- for Dawn._ _

__WWWWWWWWW  
Back at the Summers house, the Scooby gang filled in Buffy in on the events of the past four months (over a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows, of course); how they had rigged up the Buffybot to give the illusion that she was still alive; how Willow and Tara had moved in with Dawn, how they had continued to fight the good fight, even though it took all of them, including Spike (especially Spike, truth be told), to do the work of one Slayer. And how Giles had finally moved on. _ _

__When the conversation had wound down, they all looked anxiously at Buffy for some sort of response. After several long, tense moments, she gave them their wish._ _

__"I was really dead."_ _

__The Scoobies shared an uncomfortable glance. They knew it wasn't going to be easy, but it hadn't really sunk in how _hard_ it was going to be -- especially for Buffy. _ _

__Willow found the courage to speak. "Um.. yeah, you were, Buffy. But we brought you back-"_ _

__"WHY?" Buffy's face had ben cold as they told her their tale. Now Willow realisd the coldness was actually white-hot fury._ _

__"... what?" Willow managed weakly, suddenly feeling like maybe she had done something very wrong. That maybe she should have listened to that little voice that had sounded like Tara, telling her not to do the spell._ _

__"WHY did you do this to me? ME! After all you said about not bringing back my mom! I'm the SLAYER, dammit! I'm SUPPOSED to die in the line of duty! Did it EVER occur to you that I might not WANT to come back?!? DEATH IS MY GIFT! MINE! How DARE you take that away from me?!?"_ _

__Willow stared at Buffy, the tears falling from her eyes, which should have been of joy at having her friend back, tainted with hurt and even a touch of fear. "Buffy... we NEED you... the WORLD needs--"_ _

__"Get out."_ _

__"Wh--"_ _

__"I said get out!!! GET OUT!!! ALL of you, I don't want to look at you, just GO! Get out of my house!!!"_ _

__Dawn looked on in horror. "No! Buffy, stop, they helped you-"_ _

__Buffy hurled her cup of cocoa at the wall, narrowly missing Willow's head. She stared at her best friend in disbelief, but didn't protest when Tara led her out, with Xander and Anya close behind._ _

__"It'll be ok," Tara whispered. "She's had a rough night. Give her time."_ _

___And I haven't had a rough night?!_ Willow wanted to scream. _I faced Osiris himself to bring her back!_ But she kept silent, not wanting to vent her anger at her lover._ _

__DDDDDDDDDDDD  
A moment after they heard the front door shut, Buffy whispered, her voice desperate. "Dawnie, please ... please tell me you didn't help them do this to me ...." _ _

__Dawn opened her mouth, but at first nothing would come out. And then it was like a dam had broken inside her, and the contents of four months worth of emotions bottled up inside her burst forth, wiping clear any pity._ _

__"You _selfish bitch!_ You _abandoned us_! You _hypocrit!_ You told _me_ to _live_ , and for what? Because you were too scared to live yourself? I was the key, it was _my_ job to die that night! You're the _Slayer_ \-- it's _your_ job to _protect_ people! And yet, what's happened for the last four months? Your friends were out there doing _your_ job, while you took it easy in a nice cushy coffin!"_ _

__Buffy's eyes widened, and it seemed to Dawn the pain inside them was about to pour out. Part of her wanted to hold her sister and tell her she was sorry, she didn't mean it, that things would be all right. But her mother had taught her not to lie, and she chose this moment to do as she'd been told. Buffy needed to hear all this so she would wake up; she was alive, whether she liked it or not._ _

__"And to answer your question, no, I didn't help them -- but only because they didn't _tell_ me they were doing it. I wonder if they're _regretting_ it right now. Well, like it or not, you're here now, Buffy. You're _alive_ again. You better decide how your going to _live_ your life -- with, or without the people who love and care about you?" _ _

__Buffy let out a sob, and reached for Dawn. As much as it hurt her to do it, Dawn turned away, and headed up to her room. She could hear her sister's wretching sobs from below, but only until she drowned them out with her own._ _

__SSSSSSSSS  
Spike reached the Summers house just as the sun began to peek over the trees. He didn't take the time to notice the damages to the neighborhood, but if he had, he would've seen that no home was left unscathed. He would have seen most families venture forth from their homes with the sunlight, to assess said damage -- but not the Summers family. _ _

__He pounded on the door, crying "Nibblet! Nibblet, it's the Big Bad! C'mon an' open up b'fore I get too toasty! Platelet??" He noticed then that a window had been broken. He broke it the rest of the way and slipped inside._ _

__His first thought was to check the basement -- that had been her own suggestion when the rioting had begun. He was stopped short in the kitchen though, by a sight that took his breath away. (Or would have, if he'd had any.)_ _

__Buffy?_ _

__No, it had to be the 'Bot. But how did it get in the kitchen? How had Willow fixed it? And so quickly? Well, there was only one way to find out._ _

__"'Bot? _'Bot?_ Are you activated?" _ _

__It looked up at him, looking confused. "Spike?" It croaked at him._ _

__"Where are the others? Did Dawn come back?"_ _

__"Dawn's upstairs. I sent the others away. And frankly, I don't want _you/i > here just now either..." __ _

___He breathed a sigh of relief, then raised an eyebrow. "Well, I see Will finally fixed your programming like I asked! Although she did take it a bit far. Not having you adore me is one thing, but if she's made you as abusive as Buffy, her and I are going to have words ...."_ _ _

___It scowled at him. "Made? What are you saying, that this isn't even my BODY? What, did she make me a new one from scratch?!? This just gets worse and worse ...."_ _ _

___Spike blinked. "... A _new_ 'Bot... Well, that would explain how she got you fixed so fast, if you're not really you at all ... And I daresay you're a sight better than the last one ...." _ _ _

___"HEY! I don't quite understand what you just said, but I think I was just insulted! And if you helped them bring me back, I have a bone to pick with you too, mister, so I'd skedaddle if I were you ... Unless you want me to go look for Mr. Pointy?"_ _ _

___He grinned. "I think Will's got some of your wires crossed... but no, I didn't know a thing abou' you bein' 'ere."_ _ _

___She shook her head with a half-grin. "I woulda thought you would be happier to see me. Could it be you got over your stupid infatuation when I died? But then why--"_ _ _

___Fast as lighting he was over to her side of the table, grabbing her wrist and yanking her to her feet. "Now you listen here, y' _binty_ ," he growled, vamping out, "don't you _ever_ call my feelings for Buffy stupid agai--" _ _ _

___And he realised what he'd previously failed to notice: that he could _smell_ her. And now that he was touching her, he could sense her blood moving beneath the skin. He let go of her like her wrist was a cross, and stepped back. _ _ _

___BBBBBBBBB  
For her part, Buffy chided herself on her sluggish reflexes. Well, maybe being dead for a while did that to you. She was about to lay into the vamp for manhandling her, and for generally being creepy with his strange talk, when she saw his eyes. _ _ _

___He was shocked. He was looking at her like he'd never seen her before. He also looked like he was about to cry, like Dawn and the others had looked when they realised she was alive, was really _herself_ and not the Buffybot .... _ _ _

___The 'Bot. He'd thought she was the _'Bot_! She almost sighed; it didn't speak well of her if everyone kept confusing her for it ...._ _ _

___And then she almost laughed; he looked so comical and puppy-like, staring at her like that. Her big, fluffy, toothless puppy. The Big Bad vampire that had given up his "evil ways" for love of a Slayer. No matter how disgusted she might have been with him, how much she had _hated_ him once, she couldn't deny the changes he'd gone through, or all he had done a lot for her, and for Dawn. The memory of him standing at her staircase, admitting that he knew she could never love him but loved her anyway, and the promise he had made her, was still fresh in her mind. It was just yesterday for her. And even when she was gone, he'd kept his promise to her, had even extended it to her friends. _ _ _

___She gave him a smile. "It's _me_ , Spike. Not a robot. It's Buffy." _ _ _

___And that's when the vampire lost it. He fell to his knees and sobbed like the world had ended, crying "I'm sorry, I'm sooo sorry, I failed you, I killed you!" over and over._ _ _

___She surprised herself by kneeling next to him and embracing him, stroking his psuedo-flaxen (and sexily disheveled, and whoa, she was _not_ going there) hair, murmuring soothingly to him. "It's ok, Spike. I'm here, I'm alive, I'm _back_ You didn't fail me: I asked too much of you, too much of _everyone_. I--" _ _ _

___And suddenly she was sobbing right alongside him, and he was holding right her back, comforting her, telling her he loved her, that he would do it right this time and never let anything hurt her again. He was kissing her hair and stroking it lovingly, cradling her cheek as he kissed her tears away. And she found herself cradling his own cheek, only kissing his lips instead, softly at first, then harder, as if he were the fount of life and she was determined to never die again._ _ _

___To both their surprise, it was Spike that broke it off. He was actually gasping, even though he didn't need to breathe. His eyes were filled with horror, as if he had drunkenly raped her and had just been turned sober with a bucket of cold water. "I- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ...." He let go of her and stood._ _ _

___She stood quickly, embarrassed, then dizzy. He grabbed her by the shoulders, eyes filled with concern. It amazed her still, to see him look at her that way. She never would have thought, when she had first met him, that they would end up like this. But like _what?_ She had thought of him as an enemy for so long, but enemies didn't stand by you at the end of the world, didn't hold you and comfort you and protect your family after you died. She was so confused right now, and she was afraid that it was going to take a long time to sort it all out. _ _ _

___And thanks to her friends, she now _had_ that time. _ _ _

___When he was sure she was ok, Spike suggested maybe he should leave._ _ _

___"NO!" That came out way more desperate than she intended. "I mean ... stay, please. I ... I don't want to be alone right now ...." Feeling very awkward, she made her way to the cabinet, saying, "Let me fix you some cocoa," as she went._ _ _

___Only the mugs weren't where they had been before, and neither was the cocoa. She hadn't noticed where Anya had gotten everything out from the night before._ _ _

___SSSSSSSSSSSS  
Spike smiled ruefully. "Anya took i' upon 'erself to re-organize everythin'." He set to fixing them both a cuppa. _ _ _

___While he did that, Buffy called her friends, apologising and asking them all to come back over when they could. It didn't take any of them long to come around; soon they were all crying in a huddle, Willow sobbing how sorry she was she had brought Buffy back, well, not sorry that she was back, but sorry she didn't get her permission first. Spike stood off to the side, not wanting to intrude, chiding himself for the ache he was feeling. He convinced himself that he wasn't a Scooby because he didn't WANT to be a Scooby. But while he might be evil, he was never a very good liar._ _ _

___Buffy glanced at him over Tara's head and gestured for him to come join them. He stood there, undecided, when Dawn walked into the room, rubbing sleep from her eyes._ _ _

___"Geez, people, get a room, whydontcha ..." she muttered._ _ _

___Spike grabbed Dawn in a bear-hug. When he was finished nearly squeezing the life out of her, he laid into her. "What the HELL do you think you were doin', runnin' off like that?!?" His diatribe lasted for a full minute, helped along by Xander and Anya. Part of Spike wanted to stop yelling at and instead defend Dawn, but part of him was oddly appreciative of having Scoobies -- especially the one who was the most antagontistic towards him, Xander -- back him up ...._ _ _

___BBBBBBBBBBB  
Buffy leaned back against the counter, taking it all in as she stood arm-in-arm with Willow and Anya, Tara on Willow's other side. She listened to her friend's voices, felt their warmth about her, gazed lovingly at her dear sister, whose life they'd managed to save. Dawn had been right. She _was_ alive -- and she needed to start LIVING, with her friends at her side. There was only one thing missing. _ _ _

___There was a pounding at the door._ _ _

___They all went to see who it was, Buffy in the lead but Spike and Willow protectively to each side of her. She opened the door, all prepared to face another Hellfire demon._ _ _

___It was Giles._ _ _

___"Thank heavens the lot of you are all right! My plane was stopped over in New York, and I came straight back when I heard about the rioting on the news--"_ _ _

___"GILES!" Buffy hugged him so hard she lifted him off his feet._ _ _

___"Willow, what did you do to this thing? Don't you think this kind of a greeting would raise a few eyebrows? Now please, call it off, before I suffocate!"_ _ _

___Buffy dropped him, staring at him incredulously._ _ _

___He looked at her. "Good heavens, what have you done to it's hair??"_ _ _

___Dawn laughed out loud, and Xander failed to suppress a giggle._ _ _

___"Uh, Giles..." Willow began, wringing her hands nervously. "Um, don't be mad, but ...."_ _ _

___"That's the real Buffy!" Anya added helpfully (and impatiently). She turned to Xander. "Can we tell them about our engagement _now?_ " _ _ _

___Tara gasped. "Omigoddess! You're--!!" She let out a delighted squeal and hugged them both, with Willow and Dawn joining in._ _ _

___Buffy wanted to congratulate them, but decided Giles was more important at the moment. The man had an odd sort of glazed look in his eyes. Then he seemed to come to himself. "Ah! I know, I fell asleep on the plane, I'm dreaming! Yes, this is just a result of my paternal feelings for all of you. It started as a nightmare about you all being in danger, but the dream is telling me you'll all be ok, you can take care of yourselves ...." He smiled, pleased. After a few moments, the smile fell. "Well, now that I've identified this as a dream, I should be waking up now ...."_ _ _

___Buffy smiled and hugged her mentor again, gently this time. "It's not a dream, Giles. It really is me. I'm back!"_ _ _

___After a moment, this time he picked _her_ off the floor. When he set her down, he managed to pull together some semblance of his prim and proper self as he addressed the rest of the Scoobies. _ _ _

___"I should be yelling at you right now. No doubt you did something extremely dangerous and foolish to bring about this blessed event--"_ _ _

___"Hey! It's not like we used whips and chains or anything!" Anya protested._ _ _

___Buffy and the others looked at her in puzzlement, Spike with wry interest and amusement, until Xander cleared it up for them. "He's talking about _Buffy_ , Anya, not the wedding ...." _ _ _

___"... Oh."_ _ _

___Giles smiled at his partner and her fiancé. "You're right, there is another reason to be happy today! Forgive me for forgetting myself! Congratulations to you both," he said warmly. He shook Xander's hand and hugged Anya._ _ _

___Spike walked up to Xander and held out his hand. "Um, congrats, mate ...."_ _ _

___Xander paused only a moment, looking like he was about to say something catty, but instead took the vamp's hand and said "Thanks, man."_ _ _

___Giles harrumphed. "Now as I was saying, I should be reading you the bloody riot act right now ... but it can wait till tomorrow. Instead, I'll just say that you all have made me the happiest man on earth."_ _ _

___He gazed lovingly at Buffy, like doting father. In truth, she supposed, they were all like his children, with Buffy as his firstborn. Even Spike played the role of the rebellious son (you'd never get either party to admit it, though), who'd pulled his act together for the sake of love and family. Once again, the group hug ensued, this time, Buffy ruminated, with all the parts involved. Even Spike._ _ _

___And so began the first day of the rest of her life._ _ _

___END_ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> If you've enjoyed my writing, I invite you to explore my original fantasy storyverse, [Gaiankind](http://gaiankind.com)! You can even find Gaiankind stories for free [here](http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Gaiankind) on AO3!


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